The Punchestown Festival Free Bets

The Punchestown Festival takes place every April and is the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham NH Festival. It takes place over five days with a succession of Grade 1 races every day. The 2017 Punchestown Festival runs from Tuesday April 25 to Saturday April 29 and there are plenty of chances to use our free bets with one top race after another and several top handicaps.

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The format of the Punchestown Festival is fairly similar to that of its Cheltenham counterpart with the top race being the Punchestown Gold Cup. The festival attracts the very best horses with those successful at the Cheltenham Festival held a month beforehand looking to win more big prizes.

The Punchestown race course is close to Naas in County Kildare in Ireland. It's a right-handed course and has a cross country course too. They've also held rock concerts with AC/DC and U2 having played there.

2017 Punchestown Festival Free Bets

Tuesday April 25

There are three Grade 1 races on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival. The day's feature race however is the Boylesports Champion Chase, where the Willie Mullins trained Un De Sceaux is the odds-on favourite.

Guide to the Champion Chase

2017 Punchestown Festival Day One – Tuesday April 25th

Steeplechase (Two miles)

Open to horses aged five-years-old and older

Winners Over The Last 10 Years

Year

Horse

Odds

Trainer

Jockey

2016

God’s Own

9/1

TR George

Paddy Brennan

2015

Felx Younger

5/1

Willie Mullins

Danny Mullins

2014

Sizing Europe

7/1

Henry de Bromhead

Andrew Lynch

2013

Spinter Sacre

1/9 Fav

Nicky Henderson

Barry Geraghty

2012

Sizing Europe

8/1 Fav

Henry de Bromhead

Andrew Lynch

2011

Big Zeb

9/4

Colm Murphy

Barry Geraghty

2010

Golden Silver

12/1

Willie Mullins

Paul Townend

2009

Master Minded

30/100 Fav

Paul Nicholls

Ruby Walsh

2008

Twist Magic

6/4 Fav

Paul Nicholls

Ruby Walsh

2007

Mansony

13/2

Arthur Moore

Davy Russell

Number of winning favourites over the last 10 years: 3

Average price of the winner over the last 10 years: 5/1

Biggest priced winner over the last 10 years: 12/1

Shortest priced winner over the last 10 years: 1/9

Wednesday April 26

It's the Punchestown Gold Cup on the second day of the Punchestown FestivaL. Favourite will be Sizing John who recently won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He'll be bidding to become the first horse to win the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups in the same season since War of Attrition in 2006.

Guide to the Gold Cup

2017 Punchestown Festival Day Two – Wednesday April 26th

Steeplechase (Three miles and one furlong)

Open to horses aged five-years-old and older

Winners Over The Last 10 Years

Year

Horse

Odds

Trainer

Jockey

2016

Carlingford Lough

12/1

John Kiely

Barry Geraghty

2015

Don Cossack

5/2

Gordon Elliott

Paul Carberry

2014

Boston Bob

5/2 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2013

Sir Des Champs

2/1 Fav

Willie Mullins

Davy Russell

2012

China Rock

20/1

Mouse Morris

Barry Geraghty

2011

Follow The Plan

20/1

Oliver McKiernan

Tom Doyle

2010

Planet Of Sound

14/1

Philip Hobbs

Richard Johnson

2009

Notre Pere

15/8 Fav

Jim Dreaper

Andrew Lynch

2008

Neptune Collonges

9/10 Fav

Paul Nicholls

Ruby Walsh

2007

Neptune Collonges

8/1

Paul Nicholls

Ruby Walsh

Number of winning favourites over the last 10 years: 4

Average price of the winner over the last 10 years: 7/1

Biggest priced winner over the last 10 years: 20/1

Shortest priced winner over the last 10 years: 9/10

Thursday April 27

The Champion Stayers Hurdle is Wednesday's main attraction and Nichols Canyon and Uknowwhatimeanharry will contest that one whilst there's also the Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle.

Guide to the Stayer’s Hurdle

2017 Punchestown Festival Day Three – Thursday April 27th

Hurdle Race (Three miles)

Open to horses aged four-years-old and older

Winners Over The Last 10 Years

Year

Horse

Odds

Trainer

Jockey

2016

One Track Mind

10/1

Warren Greatrex

Gavin Sheehan

2015

Jezki

5/2

Jessica Harrington

Mark Walsh

2014

Jetson

20/1

Jessica Harrington

Davy Russell

2013

Quevega

6/4 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2012

Quevega

11/10 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2011

Quevega

8/11 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2010

Quevega

5/2 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2009

Fiveforthree

5/4 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2008

Blazing Bailey

10/3 Fav

Alan King

Robert Thornton

2007

Refinement

16/1

Jonjo O’Neill

Tony McCoy

Number of winning favourites over the last 10 years: 6

Average price of the winner over the last 10 years: 6/1

Biggest priced winner over the last 10 years: 20/1

Shortest priced winner over the last 10 years: 8/11

Friday April 28

The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on the penultimate day of the festival. Annie Power will be raring to go after missing Cheltenham and she will be the favourite in this one, closely followed by Arctic Fire.

Guide to the Champion Hurdle

2017 Punchestown Festival Day Four – Friday April 28th

Hurdle Race (Two miles)

Open to horses four-years-old and older

Winners Over The Last 10 Years

Year

Horse

Odds

Trainer

Jockey

2016

Vroum Vroum Mag

4/6 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2015

Faugheen

1/6 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2014

Jezki

4/5 Fav

Jessica Harrington

Tony McCoy

2013

Hurricane Fly

1/4 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2012

Hurricane Fly

4/11 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2011

Hurricane Fly

1/2 Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2010

Hurricane Fly

3/1

Willie Mullins

Paul Townend

2009

Solwhit

2/1 Fav

Charles Byrne

Davy Russell

2008

Punjabi

2/1

Nicky Henderson

Barry Geraghty

2007

Silent Oscar

20/1

Harry Rogers

Robbie Power

Number of winning favourites over the last 10 years: 7

Average price of the winner over the last 10 years: 3/1

Biggest priced winner over the last 10 years: 20/1

Shortest priced winner over the last 10 years: 1/6

Saturday April 29

The final day of the Punchestown Festival includes the Four Year Old Hurdle and also the EBF Mares Champion Hurdle.

Guide to the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle

2017 Punchestown Festival Day Five – Saturday April 29th

Hurdle Race (Two miles)

Open to horses aged four-years-old

Winners Over The Last 10 Years

Year

Horse

Odds

Trainer

Jockey

2016

Apple’s Jade

8/13 Fav

Willie Mullins

Brian Cooper

2015

Petite Parisienne

11/4 Fav

Willie Mullins

Brian Cooper

2014

Abbyssial

15/2

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2013

Diakali

Evens Fav

Willie Mullins

Ruby Walsh

2012

Hisaabaat

4/1

Dermot Weld

Andrew Lynch

2011

Grandouet

5/2

Nicky Henderson

Barry Geraghty

2010

Barizan

4/1

Evan Williams

Jason Maguire

2009

Jumbo Rio

5/2

Edward O’Grady

Andrew McNamara

2008

Won in the Dark

4/1

Sabrina Harty

Davy Russell

2007

Punjabi

6/4 Fav

Nicky Henderson

Mick Fitzgerald

Number of winning favourites over the last 10 years: 4

Average price of the winner over the last 10 years: 3/1

Biggest priced winner over the last 10 years: 15/2

Shortest priced winner over the last 10 years: 8/13

Using Your Punchestown Festival Free Bet

There are plenty of opportunities to use your free bets during the Punchestown Festival. These include betting on:

The winner of each race

Distance a horse wins its race by

Match betting in each race

Jockey with the most winning rides during the festival

Trainer with the most winning rides during the festival

Facts and Figures about the 2017 Punchestown Festival

The Punchestown Festival is Ireland’s version of the Cheltenham Festival.

Punchestown is the home of Irish National Hunt racing.

The meeting takes place from Tuesday April 25th to Saturday April 29th.

There are seven races on the first two days from 3.40 until 7.15.

There are eight races on the next two days from 3.40 to 7.45

There are eight races on the final day from 2.35 to 6.45

Therefore, there are 38 races in total.

The meeting features 12 Grade 1 contests.

On the first four days there is a feature race with a value of €250,000

Punchestown is the finale of the Irish National Hunt season.

The whole meeting is shown live on At The Races.

Some bookmakers will be offering Best Odds Guaranteed on all 38 races.

Leading Trainers Over The Last 5 Years

2016 - Willie Mullins 12

2015 - Willie Mullins 16

2014 - Willie Mullins 9

2013 - Willie Mullins 14

2012 - Willie Mullins 10

Overall Leading Trainers

Trainer, Number of Winners, Strike Rate %:

Willie Mullins - 148 - 27.66

Gordon Elliott - 52 - 16.51

Jessica Harrington - 35 - 16.67

Noel Meade - 23 - 11.11

Henry de Bromhead -22 - 12.22

Leading Jockeys Over The Last 5 Years

Year, Jockey, Winners:

2016 - Barry Geraghty - 4

2015 - Ruby Walsh - 6

2014 - Ruby Walsh - 6

2013 - Ruby Walsh - 8

2012 - Ruby Walsh - 3

Overall Leading Jockeys

Trainer, Number of Winners, Strike Rate %:

Ruby Walsh - 87 - 32.71

Davy Russell - 37 - 17.21

Brian Cooper - 34 - 16.11

Mark Walsh - 26 - 12.44

Robbie Power - 24 - 15.69

History of the Punchestown Festival

Punchestown has been holding horse racing since 1850. 11 years later Punchestown Races were reorganised as 'Kildare and National Hunt Steeplechases.' They weren't always successful and the first day of the 1868 meeting only had one spectator turn up. The event has certainly grown over the years and is now a five-day festival and the best National Hunt meeting held in Ireland.

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